Journalist Carlo Pellegatti has spoken about the ‘three sins’ that AC Milan have committed during the year, and about the injury issues that the team continue to suffer.
Despite the fact Milan have won two of their last three games, the end to the calendar year has not been a pleasant one for Stefano Pioli’s men as they are now 11 points behind league leaders Inter and they are out of the Champions League.
Milan had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the bottom-placed side Salernitana on Friday night, with a late Luka Jovic strike earning them a point. The idea of a title pursuit is fast becoming a mirage with such inconsistent league results, with a lot now riding on the Coppa Italia and the Europa League.
Pellegatti spoke about the ‘three sins’ of Milan during his latest editorial for MilanNews, harking back to a song from over 20 years ago to reflect on the team’s 2023.
“Sin! It’s the first word that comes to mind when I take stock of 2023. In the background, as a soundtrack, an old song from 2000, performed by Ronan Keating: ‘Life is a Rollercoaster’. Yes, it was truly a rollercoaster,” he began.
“The year is about to end. Fearful falls and breathtaking climbs, even if the final judgment cannot be positive. Even if the semi-final in the Champions League MUST be taken into due consideration because it turns out to be Milan’s best European placing in the last sixteen years.
“Nor can the elimination by Inter, although painful and unfortunate given the absence of Leao, cancel out the Rossoneri’s exhilarating journey in the competition. A well-deserved 8 for the first European part of the season, but then here comes the descent of our rollercoaster.
“Immediately eliminated in the Coppa Italia by Torino at San Siro. Never competitive in the league due to Napoli’s splendid run, but also for results and performances that relegated Milan to fifth place on the pitch, i.e. out of the Champions League.
“In this football season, in two months, from mid-October to today, the Rossoneri have lost thirteen points from league leaders Inter. After a promising start, a sudden and unexpected braking took Pioli’s men away from the top.
“In the Champions League, in a difficult group on paper but, given the performance and performances of the opponents, certainly surmountable, Milan only finished third and therefore out of the round of 16, gaining, with a good effort, at least the possibility of playing the Europa League.
“Let’s go back to the word SIN. There are three sins into which Milan has fallen. The original one, the mortal one, the venial one, serious but still remediable.
“The ORIGINAL sin dates back to the summer of 2022, the repercussions of which have had deleterious effects in these twelve months. The economic and technical efforts had allowed Milan to win a deserved and exciting Scudetto.
“That others lost it is a ridiculous opinion that still slips away from me like a drop of rain on a wet raincoat. At that point the team can count on a strong squad. balanced, promising.
“Instead of investing in two champions, perhaps increasing the budget, with the certainty that the money spent would certainly return thanks to another top season and a sure path to Europe, the focus was on young players with risk, as always in these cases, very high. Result: a lost market, which gave almost nothing, except the excellent Malick Thiaw.
“The MORTAL Sin is the plethora of injuries that had affected players in recent years but for which no remedy was found. Three years have passed since that distant AC Milan-Manchester United match on 18 March 2021.
“I want to remember the midfield and attacking trident of that match lost 0-1 with consequent elimination. Meite, Kessie, Saelemaekers, with, up front, Calhanoglu, Krunic and Castillejo as striker. Pure emergency.
“Nothing has changed, indeed at least in those weeks the muscle injuries did not also affect the tendon part. I am convinced that on a psychological level, not just on a technical level, Milan exited the Cup when, against Borussia, Thiaw stopped with his thigh in his hand.
“I remember the final thirty minutes as a nightmare with players and fans in shock. What happened in Salerno, after Tomori’s sad and serious injury. I read, with surprise, the attempt to involve healthcare staff and physiotherapists.
“As if your personal trainer imposed exercises on you that cause damage to your back and the culprit was the physiotherapist who tries to get you back on your feet. Incredible!
“Let’s come to the third one which I define as VENIAL, only because it is perhaps remediable. In 2023 the goals conceded were a total of 64. In this championship a total of 20, ninth defense in terms of goals conceded.
“Now the situation has become tragic because there is only one starter left, Kjaer. Stefano Pioli must first find tactical remedies to avoid often conceding two goals per game. However, the Company must be quick and reactive, even with an investment that does not only include loans.
“That is, immediately give the coach two valid central defenders given the five matches that could await Milan from 30 December to 15 January in the event of a victory in the Cup.
“Dear executives, never forget what Marilyn Monroe said about the importance of money: “They say that money doesn’t bring happiness but, if I have to cry, I’d rather do it in the back seat of a Rolls Royce than in the back seat of a Metro carriage.”
Poor Market and Injuries did us in huh, Pellegatti? WOW, thanks for that discovery. Why didn’t we think of that sooner?
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sure we could’ve signed proven champions but there was actually not a lot wrong with the 2022 transfers in that they were targeted at positions we needed to fill, and at players who, based on previous form, were on paper good signings.
Had Origi done for Milan what he did for Liverpool then he could’ve been a decent signing.
Had CDK done for Milan what he did for Bruge (in the champions league) he could’ve been a decent signing. He also could’ve been a long term replacement for Brahim.
Thiaw proved to be a great signings
Florenzi also made a lot of sense.
Unfortunately it didn’t work out. Most transfers don’t work out and most champions struggle to retain their titles because it’s very difficult to recreate that league winning form – see Napoli this season.
The 2022 transfer window didn’t adress the most important issue: Kessie’s departure. We’ve signed a handful of players, but none of them was a true physical freak like Kessie was, and it’s easy to say that in 2022/23 and up to this day, this is the position that hurt us the most.
Thiaw was the only good signing (I don’t really count Florenzi since he was already loaned to us a year prior). I thought Origi could be good but honestly he never scored in the double digits in like eons, and CDK was a big gamble (too much of a gamble considering our low budget).
Sure we could and probably should’ve signed proven champions but there was at least a basic logic to the 2022 transfers in that they were targeted at positions we needed to fill, and at players who, based on previous form, were ‘on paper’ good signings.
Had Origi done for Milan what he did for Liverpool then he could’ve been a decent signing.
Had CDK done for Milan what he did for Bruge (in the champions league) he could’ve been a decent signing. He also could’ve been a long term replacement for Brahim.
Thiaw proved to be a great signings
Florenzi also made a lot of sense.
Unfortunately it didn’t work out. Most transfers don’t work out and most champions struggle to retain their titles because it’s very difficult to recreate that league winning form – see Napoli this season.
The whole point is purchasing young players come with risks and he is right. Even on paper, you can’t expect a kid leaving his mom’s house, country and only lifetime club to perform in his first year without family around him, to adapt to a new league, language, team, position as well, since the coach refused to play him in his strongest position, without a training camp.
This had Elliott and Redbird at fault. They stalled everything and waited to the summer to finish the sale. It should have never been done at such a critical time for the team. Elliott didn’t even pick the group with the most money to invest, they picked the one that accepted a loan as well as keeping equity in the club. It was the most backward decision made in a longtime.
Agreed.
However the problem with ‘no kids’ is that you don’t end up giving kids a chance.
As someone else pointed out to me here, Kaka was a kid.
I think the ideal balance is taking a chance with your win kids ie primavera players, and focusing new signings on close-to-guarantees ie an Ibrahimovic.
Man City signed Greslish for $100m and sat him down n the Ben h for a season to allow him to acclimatise to the teams needs. They had the patience to let him develop. The problem with the new owners is they expect immediate success and try to buy it. Doesn’t work that way in football. The best clubs in the world add 1 or 2 players a season not 10.
Slow and steady.